John Sutherland convincingly won the Otago Chess Club Championship for 2014, which finished last month. Sutherland regained the Senior Championship title after a gap of four years, to record his name on the trophy for the eighth time. His unbeaten aggregate score of 9/10 over the two legs was two points clear of the writer in second place, followed by Leighton Nicholls, third on 4½.
The Intermediate Championship went to Shanon Davie, while the Junior title was won by Joe McKee.
Today's game is from the second leg of the championship, and features Sutherland with the white pieces against Terry Duffield.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 c6
The Old Indian Defence – a slightly more conservative choice than the King's Indian, which would most likely occur after 3... g6. Black aims to achieve modest development and castle before making any claim for the centre. 4.Nf3 g6 5.e4 Bg7 6.Be2 O-O 7.O-O Re8 8.h3 Qc7 9.Re1 Nbd7 10.Bf1 e5 11.Be3
For the next few moves White chooses to allow the possibility of a pawn exchange on d4, and Black refrains, even though it would open the long diagonal and give his knight a square on e5, equalising. White could prevent this at any time by 11.d5, claiming a central space advantage. 11... h6 12.Rb1 Nf8?!
Taking the knight to a place of few prospects – 12... exd4 should have been preferred. 13.Qd2 Kh7 14.b4 a6 15.d5!
Finally putting the nail in the coffin of the knight on f8. The play now switches to attack and defence of the weak black pawn on d6, which lacks its natural defender, as the bishop on g7 is blocked from moving to f8. 15... Bd7 16.Red1 Red8 17.c5 Ne8 18.Na4?!
The exposed position of the knight allows Black back into the game. Instead 18.Rbc1 would have increased the central pressure and kept the advantage. 18... cxd5! 19.cxd6!?
The alternative 19.Nb6 looks strong, but allows Black to gain the advantage by the exchange sacrifice 19... d4! White must play 20.Bg5!, else the bishop is trapped, when 20... Bc6! (20... hxg5 21.Nxg5+ Kh8! (21... Kg8? 22.Nd5 Qb8 23.Ne7+ Kh8 24.Nxf7+ Kh7 25.Qg5! and Black is getting mated) 22.Nd5 Qb8 23.Nxf7+ Kg8 24.Nxd8 Qxd8 is less clear) 21.Bxd8 Rxd8 leaves Black with a bishop, a protected passed pawn and all the active play in exchange for his rook. White will have trouble defending the e4 pawn and his knight on b6 has little influence on the game. Instead White tries to tempt Black to keep level material. 19... Qxd6?!
Missing the chance for 19... Nxd6! with a better exchange sacrifice than in the note to the previous move. 20.Bb6 Nxe4! 21.Bxc7 Nxd2 22.Rxd2 Bxa4 23.Bxd8 Rxd8 and Black has two central pawns for the exchange and a clear advantage. 20.Bc5 Qf6 21.Nb6 Rab8
Even now, giving up the exchange to preserve the d-pawn was possible: 21... d4!? 22.Nxa8 Rxa8 and Black's positional trumps compensate for his slight material deficit. 22.Nxd5 Qe6 23.Nb6!? Ba4?
Mistakenly forcing the exchange of both rooks for White's queen and pawn. In the resulting position the black pieces are hopelessly uncoordinated. After 23... Bc6! White retains only a slight advantage after 24.Qe3, as now 24.Qxd8?! Rxd8 25.Rxd8 Qxa2 leaves Black fully equal, as there is no hanging bishop on a4 and the e4 pawn is under attack. 24.Qxd8! Rxd8 25.Rxd8 Qxa2?!
Excessive materialism has been Black's downfall in this game. Best was 25... Bc6 retrieving the bishop. The text runs into trouble with so many loose black pieces. 26.Re1 Ne6 27.Bc4 Qa3?
Losing a piece, but after the better 27... Qxc4 28.Nxc4 Nxd8 29.Ncxe5, Black is a full exchange down. Black's resistance falls away steeply at this point. 28.Rd3 Qxd3?! 29.Bxd3 Nxc5 30.bxc5 Nc7? 31.Nxa4 Resigns
Sutherland regains Otago Championship
Problem: White to play and mate in 5.
John Sutherland convincingly won the Otago Chess Club Championship for 2014, which finished last month. Sutherland regained the Senior Championship title after a gap of four years, to record his name on the trophy for the eighth time. His unbeaten aggregate score of 9/10 over the two legs was two points clear of the writer in second place, followed by Leighton Nicholls, third on 4½.
The Intermediate Championship went to Shanon Davie, while the Junior title was won by Joe McKee.
Today's game is from the second leg of the championship, and features Sutherland with the white pieces against Terry Duffield.
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 d6
3.Nc3 c6
The Old Indian Defence – a slightly more conservative choice than the King's Indian, which would most likely occur after 3... g6. Black aims to achieve modest development and castle before making any claim for the centre.
4.Nf3 g6
5.e4 Bg7
6.Be2 O-O
7.O-O Re8
8.h3 Qc7
9.Re1 Nbd7
10.Bf1 e5
11.Be3
For the next few moves White chooses to allow the possibility of a pawn exchange on d4, and Black refrains, even though it would open the long diagonal and give his knight a square on e5, equalising. White could prevent this at any time by 11.d5, claiming a central space advantage.
11... h6
12.Rb1 Nf8?!
Taking the knight to a place of few prospects – 12... exd4 should have been preferred.
13.Qd2 Kh7
14.b4 a6
15.d5!
Finally putting the nail in the coffin of the knight on f8. The play now switches to attack and defence of the weak black pawn on d6, which lacks its natural defender, as the bishop on g7 is blocked from moving to f8.
15... Bd7
16.Red1 Red8
17.c5 Ne8
18.Na4?!
The exposed position of the knight allows Black back into the game. Instead 18.Rbc1 would have increased the central pressure and kept the advantage.
18... cxd5!
19.cxd6!?
The alternative 19.Nb6 looks strong, but allows Black to gain the advantage by the exchange sacrifice 19... d4! White must play 20.Bg5!, else the bishop is trapped, when 20... Bc6! (20... hxg5 21.Nxg5+ Kh8! (21... Kg8? 22.Nd5 Qb8 23.Ne7+ Kh8 24.Nxf7+ Kh7 25.Qg5! and Black is getting mated) 22.Nd5 Qb8 23.Nxf7+ Kg8 24.Nxd8 Qxd8 is less clear) 21.Bxd8 Rxd8 leaves Black with a bishop, a protected passed pawn and all the active play in exchange for his rook. White will have trouble defending the e4 pawn and his knight on b6 has little influence on the game. Instead White tries to tempt Black to keep level material.
19... Qxd6?!
Missing the chance for 19... Nxd6! with a better exchange sacrifice than in the note to the previous move. 20.Bb6 Nxe4! 21.Bxc7 Nxd2 22.Rxd2 Bxa4 23.Bxd8 Rxd8 and Black has two central pawns for the exchange and a clear advantage.
20.Bc5 Qf6
21.Nb6 Rab8
Even now, giving up the exchange to preserve the d-pawn was possible: 21... d4!? 22.Nxa8 Rxa8 and Black's positional trumps compensate for his slight material deficit.
22.Nxd5 Qe6
23.Nb6!? Ba4?
Mistakenly forcing the exchange of both rooks for White's queen and pawn. In the resulting position the black pieces are hopelessly uncoordinated. After 23... Bc6! White retains only a slight advantage after 24.Qe3, as now 24.Qxd8?! Rxd8 25.Rxd8 Qxa2 leaves Black fully equal, as there is no hanging bishop on a4 and the e4 pawn is under attack.
24.Qxd8! Rxd8
25.Rxd8 Qxa2?!
Excessive materialism has been Black's downfall in this game. Best was 25... Bc6 retrieving the bishop. The text runs into trouble with so many loose black pieces.
26.Re1 Ne6
27.Bc4 Qa3?
Losing a piece, but after the better 27... Qxc4 28.Nxc4 Nxd8 29.Ncxe5, Black is a full exchange down. Black's resistance falls away steeply at this point.
28.Rd3 Qxd3?!
29.Bxd3 Nxc5
30.bxc5 Nc7?
31.Nxa4 Resigns
1-0
Solution: 1. Rxb7+!! Kxb7 (1... Ka8 2. Nb6#) 2. Nxc5+ Kb6 (2... Ka8, Kb8 3. Qb7#) 3. Qb7+! Kxc5 4. Qc6+ Kd4 5.Bc3#.